Thandabantu Community Care Centre looks to give back
One of her longest residents is an elderly woman who is blind and has been living with Nsele for 17 years.
When Mariam Nsele’s husband died, she could have stopped all the community projects they did together and carried on with her life.
Instead, the 69-year-old went on to establish the Thandabantu Community Care Centre in Geduld in 2013.
The centre provides shelter for abused women and children and adults who are homeless.
“When my husband passed away, the need for me to help the community didn’t leave with him. People kept on coming to me for help and I couldn’t turn them away,” said Mariam.
One of the people she helped suggested she make her organisation formal and register it as s NPO.
Over the years, people have come to the centre for help and the police also bring people in who have nowhere else to go.
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One of her longest residents is a blind elderly woman who has been living with Mariam for 17 years.
The residents of the centre have hailed Mariam as the mother of everyone in Geduld because she cares for everyone.
Most of their residents come from Springs and Tsakani.
The organisation used to prepare meals for the community on Wednesdays but now can longer afford to do so.
“When I cooked, I used to make food for anyone hungry. It’s very hard to see people living in the streets and the cemeteries.
“That is not something we grew up seeing,” said Mariam.
She wishes she could start feeding people again, even if it is once a week.
Funding for the centre comes from ordinary people who donate to the centre, and Mariam’s children, who bought the house in which the centre is located, by helping with food and other living expenses.
Like many non-profit organisations, they have been hit hard by Covid-19.
Also read: ‘Gender-based violence is a monster in our communities’ – NPO
“We haven’t been able to raise funds the way we normally would. Our regular donors are also struggling,” said Mariam.
The centre needs the following:
• Help with their electricity bill
• Gas refill
• Sanitiser and masks
• First aid kit
• Toiletries and sanitary pads
• Fax/copy machine
• School shoes
• Beds
• Clothes for women and children
• Food
• Paint
• Chest freezer
• Washing machine
• Books
• Toys
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